In May 2015, the average cost of cooking one standard portion of Imeretian khachapuri reached 2.88 GEL - a 2.7% decrease month-on-month (compared to April 2015). In annual terms (compared to May 2014), however, the index added 1%.
Driven by the sharp seasonal decline in the price of Imeretian cheese - the main khachapuri ingredient, the Index reached its lowest value (2.61 GEL) in Kutaisi, the capital of Imereti. This is hardly incidental as we observe the same pattern every year since launching our survey. Apparently, Imereti sees the largest seasonal spike in the supply of fresh milk, and much of this milk goes into the production of Imeretian cheese and other traditional dairy products, such as matsoni.
With tourist arrivals far from their seasonal peak (expected in July and August), cheese prices - and Khachapuri Index value - remains relatively low in Batumi (2.77 GEL).
Prices are systematically higher in eastern Georgia. At 3.01 and 3.15 GEL, respectively, Tbilisi and Telavi are the second most expensive locations for khachapuri lovers.